Online safety Can Become the ‘Immune System’ of Digital Transformation in organizations

May 3, 2017 by Lynn Wandia

The sophistication and scope of cyber threats are expected to further escalate as the internet of things develops, yet our defenses remain low. Overwhelmingly, the current strategy is to define the threats, and then build strong defensive walls focused on keeping nefarious agents, viruses or programs out.

This means that the similarity between cyber and biological warfare is tough to ignore: in both cases, we deal with evolving adversaries that grow in complexity and gradually vary their means of attack.

Currently, digital technologies like the Internet of Things will add $14 trillion to the world’s 20 largest economies by 2030. That’s one fifth of the current world GDP. However, a major gap has been created between innovations and security. Striking a balance between this two is what will create the immune system of the digital transformation in Africa.

For this balance to take shape, firms should Prepare their businesses for change, Manage employees , Update existing infrastructure and finally Educate the public to create more trusted Internet environment for everyone. This means that Security should no longer operate as a siloed IT function, but as a fundamental business process that is aligned to business objectives.